A multitasking method of changing a state of an application changed to a background program of a lower priority to a freeze state which is a sleep mode or execute the application continuously in an unfreeze state which is an operation mode according to identification information, an activation state, etc. of the corresponding application to perform a multitasking operation and an electronic device therefor are provided. The method includes changing a first application program to a background program of a lower priority and executing a second application program as a foreground program of a higher priority and determining whether to change a state of the first application program changed to the background program to a freeze state which is a sleep mode or execute the first application program continuously in an unfreeze state which is an operation mode according to identification information of the first application program.
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1. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising: displaying a user interface (UI) of a first application program executed in the electronic device as a foreground program; and in response to executing a second application program in the electronic device as the foreground program, displaying a UI of the second application program by switching the first application program to a background program hiding the UI of the first application program, wherein the first application program switched to the background program is operated in one of a freeze state or an unfreeze state based on whether the first application program is included in a white list according to identification information of the first application program, wherein the white list comprises a predetermined list of application programs which is set to be continuously executed in the unfreeze state, and wherein the freeze state comprises a sleep mode requiring resources for the first application program less than resources of the unfreeze state which is an active mode.
An electronic device multitasking method displays a first application's UI as a foreground program. When a second application becomes the foreground program, the first application is switched to the background, hiding its UI. The first application then enters either a "freeze" (sleep) state or an "unfreeze" (active) state. This state depends on whether the first application's ID is on a "whitelist" – a list of applications always kept in the unfreeze state. The freeze state consumes fewer resources than the unfreeze state.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the UI of the second application program comprises continuously executing the first application program in the unfreeze state when the identification information of the first application program is included in the white list.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, if the first application's ID is on a "whitelist," the method continuously executes the first application in the "unfreeze" (active) state. The whitelist contains IDs of applications designed to remain active in the background.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined list of application programs comprises a list of identification information of each of application programs corresponding to one or more of a cluster home, a menu screen, a system popup, and a notification panel.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, the "whitelist" of applications includes IDs corresponding to system-level components such as the home screen, menu screen, system pop-up windows, and the notification panel. These applications are kept active in the background.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the UI of the second application program comprises continuously executing the first application program in the unfreeze state when the identification information of the first application program corresponds to one or more of music or navigation and the first application program is in an activation state just before the first application program is switched to the background program.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, if the first application is a music or navigation app and was actively running just before being moved to the background, the method keeps the first application continuously executing in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching the first application program to the foreground program again, automatically updating data to operate normally, and executing the first application program in the unfreeze state when a resume request for the first application program of the freeze state is received.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, if the "freeze" (sleep) state application receives a "resume" request (user wants to use it again), the method switches it back to the foreground, automatically updates any necessary data, and executes it in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching the first application program to the foreground program again, automatically updating data to operate normally, and executing the first application program in the unfreeze state when a back request for the first application program of the freeze state is received.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, if the "freeze" (sleep) state application receives a "back" request (user navigates back to it), the method switches it back to the foreground, automatically updates any necessary data, and executes it in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first application program switched to the foreground program again by the back request is a background program just under the second application program.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where, upon receiving a "back" request, a "freeze" state application is switched back to the foreground, if the application being brought to the foreground via the back request was immediately behind the current foreground application in the background task stack, it will be brought to the foreground. The applications are ordered from the most recently used to the least recently used.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching the first application program to the foreground program again, automatically updating data to operate normally, and executing the first application program in the unfreeze state when an event for the first application program of the freeze state is received.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, if the "freeze" (sleep) state application receives an "event," the method switches it back to the foreground, automatically updates any necessary data, and executes it in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
9. The method of claim 8 , whether the event comprises an event corresponding to one or more of short message service (SMS) information, multimedia message service (MMS) information, push information, call information, and alarm information which are generated in the inside or the outside.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where, upon receiving an "event," a "freeze" state application is switched back to the foreground, the "event" can be an SMS message, MMS message, push notification, incoming call, or alarm, originating either within the device or externally.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching a state of the first application program to the unfreeze state and terminating the first application program in a state where the first application program is the background program when a terminate request for the first application program of the freeze state is received.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, if a "terminate" request is received for the first application while it is in the "freeze" (sleep) state and in the background, the method switches it to the "unfreeze" state and then terminates the application.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foreground program and the background program are managed as a group including at least one or more application programs.
Continuing from the electronic device multitasking method where a first application's UI is displayed as a foreground program and then switched to a background state when a second application is in the foreground, foreground and background programs can be managed as groups containing one or more applications. This implies multitasking actions can be applied to entire sets of applications instead of one application.
12. An electronic device comprising: a display module; and a processor operatively coupled to the display module, and configured to: control the display module to display a user interface (UI) of a first application program executed in the electronic device as a foreground program; and in response to executing a second application program in the electronic device as the foreground program control the display module to display a UI of the second application program by switching the first application program to a background program hiding the UI of the first application program, wherein the first application program switched to a background program is operated in one of a freeze state or an unfreeze state based on whether the first application program is included in a white list according to identification information of the first application program, wherein the white list comprises a predetermined list of application programs which is set to be continuously executed in the unfreeze state, and wherein the freeze state comprise a sleep mode requiring resources for the first application program less than resources of the unfreeze state which is an active mode.
An electronic device includes a display and a processor. The processor controls the display to show a first application's UI as a foreground program. When a second application becomes the foreground program, the processor switches the first application to the background, hiding its UI. The first application then enters either a "freeze" (sleep) state or an "unfreeze" (active) state. This state depends on whether the first application's ID is on a "whitelist" – a list of applications always kept in the unfreeze state. The freeze state consumes fewer resources than the unfreeze state.
13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the first application program is continuously executed in the unfreeze state when the identification information of the first application program is included in the white list.
Continuing from the electronic device including a display and a processor configured to handle foreground and background application states, the processor determines that if the first application's ID is on a "whitelist," the method continuously executes the first application in the "unfreeze" (active) state. The whitelist contains IDs of applications designed to remain active in the background.
14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined list of application programs comprises a list of identification information of each of application programs corresponding to one or more of a cluster home, a menu screen, a system popup, and a notification panel.
Continuing from the electronic device including a display and a processor configured to handle foreground and background application states, the "whitelist" of applications includes IDs corresponding to system-level components such as the home screen, menu screen, system pop-up windows, and the notification panel. These applications are kept active in the background.
15. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the first application program is continuously executed in the unfreeze state when the identification information of the first application program corresponds to one or more of music or navigation and the first application program is in an activation state just before the first application program is switched to the background program.
Continuing from the electronic device including a display and a processor configured to handle foreground and background application states, the processor determines that if the first application is a music or navigation app and was actively running just before being moved to the background, the method keeps the first application continuously executing in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
16. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to switch the first application program to the foreground program again, update data automatically to operate normally, and execute the first application program in the unfreeze state when a resume request for the first application program of the freeze state is received.
Continuing from the electronic device including a display and a processor configured to handle foreground and background application states, if the "freeze" (sleep) state application receives a "resume" request (user wants to use it again), the processor switches it back to the foreground, automatically updates any necessary data, and executes it in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
17. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to switch the first application program to the foreground program again, update data automatically to operate normally, and execute the first application program in the unfreeze state when a back request for the first application program of the freeze state is received.
Continuing from the electronic device including a display and a processor configured to handle foreground and background application states, if the "freeze" (sleep) state application receives a "back" request (user navigates back to it), the processor switches it back to the foreground, automatically updates any necessary data, and executes it in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
18. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to switch the first application program to the foreground program again, update data automatically to operate normally, and execute the first application program in the unfreeze state when an event for the first application program of the freeze state is requested.
Continuing from the electronic device including a display and a processor configured to handle foreground and background application states, if the "freeze" (sleep) state application receives an "event," the processor switches it back to the foreground, automatically updates any necessary data, and executes it in the "unfreeze" (active) state.
19. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to switch a state of the first application program to the unfreeze state and terminate the first application program in a state where the first application program is the background program when a terminate request for the first application program of the freeze state is received.
Continuing from the electronic device including a display and a processor configured to handle foreground and background application states, if a "terminate" request is received for the first application while it is in the "freeze" (sleep) state and in the background, the processor switches it to the "unfreeze" state and then terminates the application.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of an electronic device storing one or more programs comprising instructions to perform a method, the method comprising: displaying a user interface (UI) of a first application program executed in the electronic device as a foreground program; and in response to executing a second application program in the electronic device as the foreground program, displaying a UI of the second application program by switching the first application program to a background program hiding the UI of the first application program, wherein the first application program switched to the background program is operated in one of a freeze state or an unfreeze state based on whether the first application program is included in a white list according to identification information of the first application program, wherein the white list comprises a predetermined list of application programs which is set to be continuously executed in the unfreeze state, and wherein the freeze state comprises a sleep mode requiring resources for the first application program less than resources of the unfreeze state which is an active mode.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed, cause an electronic device to perform the steps of displaying a first application's UI as a foreground program. When a second application becomes the foreground program, the first application is switched to the background, hiding its UI. The first application then enters either a "freeze" (sleep) state or an "unfreeze" (active) state. This state depends on whether the first application's ID is on a "whitelist" – a list of applications always kept in the unfreeze state. The freeze state consumes fewer resources than the unfreeze state.
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December 5, 2014
June 27, 2017
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